To make a switch assembly safe, durable, and reliable, the contact members are held firmly together under a positive force when the switch is closed and held apart under a positive force when the switch is open. Manipulating the toggle switch of the switch assembly closes and opens the contact members quickly.
A spring stores the energy necessary to provide a snap action of the switch assembly, thereby facilitating the quick opening and closing of the contact members. The quick making and breaking of the contact members reduces arcing and resultant damage to the contact members. Accordingly, a need exists for a switch assembly that facilitates opening and closing the contact members quickly.
The spring that provides the snap action to the toggle switch can buckle when manipulating the toggle switch to open and close the contact members. Buckling of the spring impairs the opening and closing of the contact members, resulting in a slow switch operation, reduced opening and closing force of the contact members, damage to the contact members and reduced life of the switch assembly. Accordingly, a need exists for a switch assembly in which the spring is substantially prevented from buckling.